Family MEGALOPIDAE

Megalopidae

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Introduction

The family Megalopidae includes the oxeye herrings or tarpons of the genus Megalops. Two species are recognised, M. cyprinoides from the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, and M. atlanticus from the Atlantic (Nelson 2006, Nelson et al. 2016).

Megalopids are primarily marine, but are frequently found in estuaries and may venture into freshwater. They are taken on hook and line, and are targeted as active fighting fishes. The larvae are leaf-like leptocephali similar to those of true eels (order Anguilliformes), although they differ from eel larvae in having a forked caudal fin. Maximum length for the family is 2.5 m, although in Australia they rarely exceed 1 m. The family was treated in Smith (1999) and Paxton et al. (2006).

General References

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C. & Wilson, M.V.H. 2016. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons 5, 752 pp.

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Bray, D.J. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Megalopidae. pp. 223-224 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Smith, D.G. 1999. Families Elopidae, Megalopidae. pp. 1619-1622 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1621]

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [333] (Tarpons)

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [104] (Oxeye Herrings)

Smith, D.G. 1999. Families Elopidae, Megalopidae. pp. 1619-1622 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1621] (Tarpons)

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